Williams played Mork, a visitor from the planet Ork. After his egg-like space vessel landed near Boulder, Colorado, Mork bonded with a pretty Earth woman named Mindy McConnell (Pam Dawber). Late in the series, they became romantically involved, got married, and Mork promptly laid an egg out of which was born their son Mearth (Jonathan Winters).

The supporting cast started off being mainly Mindy's straitlaced father Fred (Conrad Janis) and her free-spirited grandmother Cora (Elizabeth Kerr); later seasons added a small circle of friends along with curmudgeonly downstairs neighbor Mr. Bickley (Tom Poston) and a self-styled prophet named Exidor (Robert Donner).

Every episode ended with Mork's report to Orson, the unseen being who sent him to Earth, on Mork's latest lesson in Earth culture.

Badass Cape: In the episode "Watcher of Earth", an alien named Xerko comes to Earth and challenges Mork to a battle. Before the battle, he puts on a Badass Cape... only to tear it off in an exaggerated twirl.

Beware the Nice Ones: Mork may be a childlike jokester, but he is still an alien with limited telekinetic abilities, and can be a dangerous opponent when angered, as seen in "The Night They Raided Mind-ski's".

Bizarre Alien Biology: The Orkans are chicken-descended bipeds who age backwards, drink through their fingers, and whose males lay eggs; they also possess odd powers, allergies and reactions.

Blowing a Raspberry: This show had recurring a elder character from Mork's planet whose name was pronounced by blowing a raspberry. This leads to the wonderful parting line from Mork and Mindy at the end of his first appearance as he turns to leave:

Mork: We'll write! Mindy: As soon as we figure out how to spell [blown raspberry]

Broken Aesop: In "Mork and the Bum Rap," Mindy asks the bum, Godfried, why he doesn't take on responsibility. Godfried reminisces about getting married, raising a couple of kids and then sending them through college. He said he did that, that's why he's a bum!

Characterization Marches On/ Retcon: People who see Mork's original appearance on Happy Days after watching this series are likely to be shocked at what a Jerkass he originally was and that his appearance was said to have been All Just a Dream in that episode. Oddly enough All Just a Dream was a hurdle that another Happy Days spinoff (the long-forgotten Out of the Blue, which featured an angel as its protagonist) had to overcome as well.

Broken Aesop: Well, maybe not broken. Dinged a little. In an episode about how racism is bad, they really should have resisted the urge to use the stereotypical "Asian music" sting when one of the women takes off her hood and is revealed as Chinese.

Corpsing: Often. It's really hard to keep a straight face when Robin Williams is around. One especially noticeable example comes in the "It's a Wonderful Mork" episode: Mork is supposed to be invisible and inaudible as he observes Mindy's life without him, so Pam Dawber makes a valiant but ultimately futile effort to keep a straight face to Robin's antics.

Apparently, Robin liked to do this deliberately. In an interview, Pam mentioned one time where he stood offstage completely naked just to mess with her.

Drunk on Milk: Mork does not react well with either carbonation, or ginger.

Establishing Character Moment: How Williams got this character back on Happy Days. He went to the audition for a "alien character". When he was called to the auditioning, they found him sitting upside-down (like Mork in the show) and that was pretty much enough to give him the role.

Human Outside, Alien Inside: Orkans can drink with their finger (and use various Psychic Powers focused through their index fingers), have three hearts, physically age backwards, and are hatched from eggs which come from the male's bellybuttonnote Prior to that, they were artificially grown in laboratories using test tubes.

Imported Alien Phlebotinum: The occasional piece of Orkan technology, such as the hand-held device that temporarily aged Mork so that he could provide Mindy's grandmother with a date.

Incredible Shrinking Man: The second-season premiere, "Mork in Wonderland", has Mork shrinking into a micro universe after he takes a cold pill.

Informed Ability : Mindy teaches music lessons, but is never shown playing any instruments.

Innocence Lost: Subverted. Mork is talked into freeing an escaped criminal who claims that he just needs to visit his sick mother and will return to turn himself back in afterward. Sure enough, Mork is arrested for freeing him and Mindy tells him that it is obvious that the crook took advantage of him and won't be back. In a genuinely moving moment, Mork tearfully agrees that he can't trust anyone again, until the crook suddenly returns as promised to turn himself in and get Mork released. With that, Mork's innocence is restored with his naive belief in the goodness of humanity vindicated.

Pardon My Klingon: Slightly lampshaded when Mork is thinking of revealing himself as an alien in season 1:

Mindy's Dad: And people will follow you around saying "Shazbot!!"

Mork: If only they knew what that meant...

Mindy once mentioned Robin Williams was in town for a show (!). Mork cracks up at the name, and whispers to Mindy what "robin" means on his world. Apparently it's disgusting.

In the episode with Rick and Ruby, Mork sang an entire verse of "This Heart Is Closed for Alterations" in Orkan.

Physical God: Mork possesses super strength and telekinesis as well as mind-control powers, can freeze time, can control earthly elements (like wind) to some extent, and is capable of raising people from the dead.

Put on a Bus: Mindy's Dad and Grandma in the second season, in favor of a bunch of new characters - most of who were in turn Put on a Bus the 3rd season.

Scenery Censor: On one occasion, Mork walked out of the shower naked to talk to a shocked Mindy, who had to explain human customs regarding nudity. The low cabinet that blocked his bathing-suit-area kept the audience from seeing that Robin Williams actually was naked.

Sleep Cute: In the episode "Sky Flakes Keep Falling On My Head", Mork and Mindy fall asleep huddled together in Exidor's literally falling-apart summer home to keep warm from the snow. Unfortunately, because they fell asleep, their fire went out...

Spin-Off: Of Happy Days. Mork lampshades this during an appearance in a later Happy DaysClip Show, in which he tells Orson about the insights into human relations he's gained from Richie and Fonzie.

World of Snark: Robin Williams was NOT the only person who could give a good one-liner.

Younger Than They Look: Robin Williams was only in his late-20's when the show was being made. He looked more like he was in his mid-40's, at least. (He had a well-publicized addiction to cocaine at the time, which may have contributed to his prematurely aged look.) Pam Dawber, who was also in her 20's, looked a little more age appropriate but definitely sounded older than she really was. Although it's also a weird case of Dawson Casting , as in the second episode of Season 1, Mindy states that she is 21 years old. Dawber was 27 when the series started.

Fridge Brilliance: Orkans age in reverse, so one more reason for Robin Williams to get the part was that he was young, but he looked older.

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